Storm Eleanor batters Britain

Thousands of Brits have been left without power and many journeys disrupted as Storm Eleanor causes chaos across the country. The QEII Bridge at the Dartford Crossing was closed Tuesday night but reopened in time for the morning rush hour and junctions on both the M25 and M5 have been closed following road traffic incidents.
The MET Office has issued a yellow weather warning for most of England, Wales and southern Scotland as winds of up to 70mph and heavy rainfall is expected to continue throughout today.

It is not yet known if Storm Eleanor has affected flights, however if the bad weather continues, delays and cancellations are likely. It is recommended you check your flight details before leaving home and allow plenty of time to travel to the airport.
If you happen to miss your departure due to heavy traffic then there are some policies that will offer cover for alternative transport to reach your destination, however these policies are limited so make sure you read your policy wording carefully and look for ‘missed departure due to an unforeseen circumstance which you could not avoid’.
The majority of travel insurance policies will only offer cover for missed departure if your public transport is delayed, the car you are travelling in becomes undriveable or you are involved in an accident.

Those passengers who are affected by delays or cancellations should speak to their airlines first. It is the airlines responsibility to provide an alternative flight if cancelled or provide compensation for refreshments or accommodation in the event of a delay – although cover will differ between airlines.

Under your travel insurance policy, check if you have cover for delayed departure; most policies will offer a small amount of compensation for every set period of time you are delayed (for example: £20 for every full 12 or 6 hours depending on your policy) for refreshments. Your travel insurance may also offer cancellation cover if you decide to cancel your holiday following a 24-hour delay – check your policy wording carefully as cover can differ between policies